Study on the correlation between urinary retinol-binding protein and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects human health worldwide. Our objective was to explore the correlation between urinary retinol-binding protein (URBP) and NAFLD. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 445 NAFLD patients and 911 healthy controls. The URBP level and other parameters were measured. Results: The URBP level (expressed by the RBP/creatinine ratio) was higher in the NAFLD patients compared with the non-NAFLD patients. The urinary RBP/creatinine ratio was an independent risk factor for NAFLD after univariate and multivariate regression analysis, with the or values of 2.271 (1.795-2.872, P < 0.001) and 2.338 (1.775-3.080, P < 0.001), respectively. The prevalence of the urinary RBP/creatinine ratio (groups 1, 2, 3, 4) was 20.0%, 17.3%, 27.3%, and 35.4%, respectively (P < 0.001), and the prevalence of NAFLD in the high urinary RBP/creatinine ratio group was significantly higher than that in the low urinary RBP/creatinine ratio group. Conclusions: Our results revealed that the urinary RBP/creatinine ratio was an independent risk factor for NAFLD.